The third match day of the UFL Cup brought about a coming forth of intentions from two clubs sharing similar challenges. Both are looking to make a step up in competition, and the pair showed on Tuesday night that they might be on their way.

Pachanga Diliman finished fifth in the League last season, which was impressive coming from a side that had just been promoted into a very competitive First Division. Adjusting to the drastic jump in quality of play wasn’t going to be easy for any team, but their ability to adapt quickly meant they finished ahead of Green Archers United, and just three points behind Kaya.

Early indications in the UFL Cup point at Pachanga Diliman going on to achieve even more this season, as they’ve been simply untouchable in their opening two matches. Just three days after shrugging aside Laos, 4-0, on opening night, Philippine Army were next in line to suffer the full brunt of their force. Nate Burkey scored a hat-trick in 43 minutes to lead an extraordinary first-first half onslaught that also saw Ariel Zerrudo find the back of the net. Reza Amirkhizan joined the party four minutes after the break, stamping out any hopes of an Army revival.

Only three teams in the First Division scored fewer goals last year, but to start the campaign, Pachanga Diliman have now scored nine goals in two games, without having conceded any. Nobody will envy who they face next on October 26.

New club Manila Jeepney bounced back from their opening night, 6-1, hammering against Ceres-La Salle by securing an important victory against Laos. The dangerous Masood Shedideh was on the scoresheet twice, with Sean Iliff capping off the scoring with his second goal of the season. With the pressure of representing the city of Manila on their shoulders, coach Kale Alvarez’s side found the perfect remedy to a rough welcoming to Philippine football’s big leagues – a win and a clean sheet. Three points in the bag now makes qualification into the Round of 16 a real possibility for Manila Jeepney, with one more likely enough to seal passage from the group stages. Next in line for them, however, is Pachanga Diliman.

The most exciting domestic cup competition in the Philippines, the UFL Cup, continues tonight with a double header featuring the debut of the double champions, Stallion FC.